[Utena's smile widens helplessly, and she perhaps looks as silly and flustered as she feels, but she can't quite manage the desire to be embarrassed by it this time. Instead she walks a little closer, hands stuffed in her pockets, breath escaping in puffs of shimmering, frosted air.]

I've been good! Ah, Himemiya arrived, so I've been a little busy... [And here it occurs to her to apologize.] Sorry if I haven't been around much. This is the first time in a while that I've had a friend from home, and Chu-chu is here too, and he--she gets into so much trouble that I can barely keep up.

[She does look truly apologetic, clearly intent on taking the full blame for their lack of contact over the past couple of weeks. It (perhaps gratefully) has not crossed her mind that Mami might be deliberately avoiding her.]